Tuscaloosa Bids Farewell to Brother A

This morning, many of us awakened to news that was simply unbelievable: the passing of Fradell "Brother A" Amerson.

For many, Brother A was a household staple. Just like you could count on milk being in the refrigerator and bread in its place, you knew that when you'd wake up at a particular time, you'd hear his voice on the radio. For some, it was your mother who had him blaring while cooking breakfast. For others, it was grandma who woke up and listened for funeral announcements. Listening to Brother A was like being trained up in the way you should go because eventually, some who listened to him because of their parents and grandparents found themselves tuning into WTSK for themselves.

A gentle soul, Brother A knew and loved everybody.... And everybody loved him! If he didn't know you, but you had roots in West Alabama, it's almost guaranteed that he knew some of your folks. He loved his listening audience, affectionately known as "The Radio Family," and he would give them shout outs as well as prayer requests regularly. He knew all of the area quartet groups and was a proponent of playing local music. As a matter of fact, he himself sang in a quartet group years ago.

One thing we know for sure is that he served the Tuscaloosa community WELL, and it wasn't for the money. There is no way he could be compensated to the degree of the love in his heart. And he loved serving so much that he was usually an hour early for his shift, a precaution he took to make sure he would still be on time even if he came into an unknown delay. It was this consistency that led to the discovery of his death. When no one was on the air, it was immediately known that something was wrong.

So, today, we bid farewell to Brother A, knowing that he served The Lord with his whole heart and with the confidence that we'll see him again.